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Man battling COVID-19 matches with plasma donors after family's plea for help

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Updated: 3:20 PM CDT Apr 14, 2020

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ENACTED. JESSICA: PERRIS JONES REPORTING LIVE FOR US TONIGHT. NOW TO THIS STORY. A DAUGHTER BEGGING YOU FOR HELP WHILE HER DAD FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE AT HER OWN PLACE OF WORK. KOCO’S ABIGAIL OGLE JOINS US LIVE WITH AN EMOTIONAL INTERVIEW. ABBY, SHE SAYS SHE DOESN’T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER HER DAD CA FIGHT THIS VIRUS. ABIGAIL: IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL INTERVIEW AND A TOUGH INTERVIEW FOR BOTH OF US TO TALK ABOUT THIS. SHE IS PLEADING FOR ANYONE’S HELP OUT THERE TO HELP SAVE HIS LIFE. ALL OF THIS WHILE SHE SAYS THE COVID19 EPIDEMIC HAS COME FULL CIRCLE FOR HER IN A WAY SHE NEVER EXPECTED. >> HIS FEVER WAS SO VERY HIGH, HE WAS DELIRIO ABIGAIL: MARCH 28. RANDY SPIRES’ WIFE DROPPED HIM OFF AT THE CURB OF OKC’S MERCY HOSPITAL. >> HE’S STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE. MY DAD IS CRITICAL BUT HE’S STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE. ABIGAIL: THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THE FAMILY HAS SEEN HIM IN PERSON >> HIS NURSES TELL US EVERYDAY. YOUR DAD IS STILL FIGHTING. HE’S STILL HERE ABIGAIL: AND HIS DAUGHTER MEREDITH TELLS ME THE WAY COVID19 IS ATTACKING RANDY IS SOMETHING THE DOCTORS HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE. >> IT HAS SPECIFICALLY ATTACKED HIS BLOOD. HE HAS BONE MARROW SUPRESSION SO HE DOESN’T REALLY HAVE AN IMMUNITY IN HIS BODY TO CONTINUE FIGHTING OFF THE VIRUS. ABIGAIL: THAT’S WHY THEY NEED SOMEONE TO STEP UP AND DONAT THEIR ANTIBODIES TO RANDY. >> I HATE TO SAY IT’S OUR LAST HOPE BUT IT IS OUR NEXT HOPE. YOU CAN TAKE THOSE ANTIBODIES THAT YOU HAVE AND POTENTIALLY HELP SOMEONE ELSE AND SAVE THEIR LIFE. ABIGAIL: EMOTIONALLY, MEREDITH TOLD ME ABOUT THE TEAM WORKI TO FIND ANSWERS FOR HER DAD. HIS PHYSICIANS AND HIS CARE TEAM AT OBI HAVE BEEN MOVING HEAVEN AND EARTH FOR HIM AND ALL THE OTHER CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS OUT THERE. ABIGAIL: AND MEREDITH KNOWS ALL TOO WELL ABOUT WHAT GOES ON INSIDE MERCY HOSPITAL. SHE HERSELF IS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER. >> WRITING ALL THESE PRESS RELEASES ABOUT VISITOR RESTRICTIONS AT THE HOSPITAL. ABIGAIL: JUST DAYS AFTER WRITING THOSE PRESS RELEASES, SHE IS NO LONGER ALLOWED INSIDE HER PLACE OF WORK. SO SHE PRAYS FOR HER DAD IN THE PARKING LOT AND WORKS TO FIND A PLASMA DONOR. >> I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER AS TO HOW MUCH LONGER HE HAS. AS LONG AS HE IS STILL FIGHTING, WE’RE GONNA KEEP FIGHTING FOR HI ABIGAIL: IT WAS TOUGH. MEREDITH AND I HAVE WORKED ON OTHER STORIES TOGETHER BUT NOTHING LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY THAT HIT HOME FOR HER FAMILY. SHE HAS COVER 19 SYMPTOMS AS WELL BUT IS CONTINUING TO GET BETTER. MEREDITH WANTS ME TO PASS ALONG. HER DAD IS 63. NO UNDERLYING HEALTH ISSUE NO REASON HE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIGHT THIS OFF. MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING ABOUT THE DRUG WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT AND RANDY HAS COMPLETED A TREATMENT OF HYDROXY CORE KLEIN -- AND HE ALREADY

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Man battling COVID-19 matches with plasma donors after family's plea for help

Randy Spires' wife dropped him off at the curb of Oklahoma City's Mercy Hospital on March 28.That was the last time Spires' family has seen him in person."His fever was so very high. He was delirious," his daughter, Meredith Huggins, said. "He's still very much alive. My dad is critical, but he's still very alive. His nurses tell us every day, 'Your dad is fighting. He's still here.'"Spires is 63 years old, has no underlying health issues and has already completed the hydroxychloroquine treatment. Huggins told KOCO 5 that the way COVID-19 is attacking her father is something the doctors had not seen before."It has specifically attacked his blood," she said. "He has bone marrow suppression, so he doesn't really have any immunity in his body to continue fighting off the virus."That's why Spires' family needs someone to step up and donate antibodies."I hate to say it's our last hope, but it is our next hope," Huggins said. "You can take those antibodies that you have and potentially help someone else and save their life."Emotionally, Huggins spoke with KOCO 5 about the team working to find answers for her father."His care team and the people at OBI (the Oklahoma Blood Institute) have been moving heaven and earth for him and all the other critically ill patients out there," Huggins said.And she knows all too well about what goes on inside Mercy Hospital. Huggins is the hospital's public information officer."Writing all these press releases about, you know, visitor restrictions of the hospital," she said.Huggins prays for her father and works to find a plasma donor."I don't know the answer as to how much longer he has," Huggins said. "As long as he is still fighting, we're going to keep fighting for him." Anyone who has beaten COVID-19 and would like to donate their antibodies can find a link to the Oklahoma Blood Institute's form here.Update: Huggins told KOCO 5 on Tuesday that Spires matched with a couple donors who showed up at the Oklahoma Blood Institute.W2lmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZDJjbXZicTdzeHgzM2ouY2xvdWRmcm9udC5uZXQvZW1haWwvcHJvZF9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1c19pZnJhbWVfYXJ0aWNsZS5odG1sIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQxNCIgc3R5bGU9IndpZHRoOjEwMCU7Ym9yZGVyOm5vbmU7b3ZlcmZsb3c6aGlkZGVuIiBzY3JvbGxpbmc9Im5vIiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgYWxsb3dUcmFuc3BhcmVuY3k9InRydWUiXVsvaWZyYW1lXQ==

OKLAHOMA CITY —

Randy Spires' wife dropped him off at the curb of Oklahoma City's Mercy Hospital on March 28.

That was the last time Spires' family has seen him in person.

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"His fever was so very high. He was delirious," his daughter, Meredith Huggins, said. "He's still very much alive. My dad is critical, but he's still very alive. His nurses tell us every day, 'Your dad is fighting. He's still here.'"

Spires is 63 years old, has no underlying health issues and has already completed the hydroxychloroquine treatment. Huggins told KOCO 5 that the way COVID-19 is attacking her father is something the doctors had not seen before.

"It has specifically attacked his blood," she said. "He has bone marrow suppression, so he doesn't really have any immunity in his body to continue fighting off the virus."

That's why Spires' family needs someone to step up and donate antibodies.

"I hate to say it's our last hope, but it is our next hope," Huggins said. "You can take those antibodies that you have and potentially help someone else and save their life."

Emotionally, Huggins spoke with KOCO 5 about the team working to find answers for her father.

"His care team and the people at OBI (the Oklahoma Blood Institute) have been moving heaven and earth for him and all the other critically ill patients out there," Huggins said.

And she knows all too well about what goes on inside Mercy Hospital. Huggins is the hospital's public information officer.

"Writing all these press releases about, you know, visitor restrictions of the hospital," she said.

Huggins prays for her father and works to find a plasma donor.

"I don't know the answer as to how much longer he has," Huggins said. "As long as he is still fighting, we're going to keep fighting for him."